Sesame Clementine & Cabbage Salad

I’ve gotten over a major food fear recently. It sounds weird to say, but I haven’t eaten oranges (or fruits from the orange family) for about a year and a half. I know, it’s about the weirdest aversion to have. People in general like oranges. And I did too, until I had a certain unfortunate food experience while on vacation in Morocco.

Coming home, I figured I wouldn’t look at an orange for maybe a few months… then a year and a half went by and I still had no good reason to confront them. Last month I was invited to guest taste at Whole Foods’ Citrus Showdown event, where 2 local chefs prepared dishes with satsumas and clementines.

I went, I ate, and I survived. It’s funny how these little hangups are all just in your mind.

While on my little orange sabbatical, one thing I really missed were crunchy chopped asian salads with little fried shallots on top. Similar to a Chinese chicken salad (sans the chicken), I made mine with a miso-citrus dressing and topped it with some chopped sesame tofu and these darling clementines. Perfect thing to brighten up a cold winter day.

asian clementine & cabbage salad

• 1 small napa cabbage, chopped thin (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 3-4 scallions, chopped
• 3-4 clementines, segmented (squeeze excess juice into the dressing)
• a few sprigs of mint
• sesame seeds, for garnish

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed clementine juice
• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoons honey (or agave, if vegan)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• splash of sriracha

• 1 block of tofu, sliced into about 8 slices
• splash of soy sauce
• splash of rice vinegar
• splash of toasted sesame oil
• sesame seeds & panko bread crumbs to coat

• 2-3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
• vegetable oil
• flour, for coating

This post was created in partnership with Whole Foods.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rbvVnpinnJyaurC60meaqKVflsCqrc1mmqWdnZq7tbXNnmScmZKXrqixjKyYpZmUZA%3D%3D